Nothing Else Matters
by Chojinbadger
Summary: After the Chojin Crown, Kid Muscle is plagued with dreams about a fellow chojin...
1. Foundations

Nothing else matters

Rating: R, for culmination of a slash relationship (i.e. two male characters getting it on).

Setting: A few months after the end of the Chojin Crown

Pairings: Kid Muscle/Kevin (sorry Warsman!), a little bit of Mars/Terry (sorry Jeager!)

Summary: After the Chojin Crown, Kid Muscle is plagued with dreams about a fellow chojin.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ultimate Muscle, Kinnikuman, or any of the characters included or mentioned in this fanfic. I simply enjoy watching them, and imagining them in kinky situations. Is that a crime? Also, I took the title 'Nothing else matters' from a song by Metallica that I love to bits. I'm going to use the song in a later chapter.

Author Note: I find myself assuming there to be more furniture in Kid and Meat's little shed thingy than they actually show in the programme. Ah well...

Also, anything in between is meant to be in italics – and therefore is part of a thought, or part of a dream.

In addition, Kevin and Mantaro are probably incredibly OOC in this, but it would be so much harder to write if they weren't.

Chapter 1 – Foundations

_He clutched the bed-sheet desperately, clawing at the material. His chest heaved, his breath coming in short, painful gasps. Never had he thought that it could ever be like this...sure, he'd read a sufficient amount to have a good enough idea, but the real thing was so different. It was agony, but...sweet and refreshing. A pain so beautiful, and so genuine, that tears came to his eyes as he arched his back and cried out for more. Slowly, the reassuring pressure of another person was laid onto his body, and he looked up, feeling another spasm of delight pass through him when he found himself staring into startling azure blue eyes. He allowed one word to pass through his lips, confirming his adoration in just one name._

"_Kevin..."_

"Aaargh!" Mantaro sat up, breathing heavily, his eyes darting around the small bedroom as his pupils dilated and his brain adjusted to the fact that he had just wrenched himself out of a horrifyingly vivid dream. He put his trembling hand to his forehead slowly. No significant temperature difference, but his fingers came into contact with cold sweat. Slowly, he pulled the thin sheet off of himself, and swung his legs over the edge of the somewhat raised mattress. The roughly carpeted floor cushioned his bare feet only slightly, and it was only when he stood up that he realised that the mattress was damp.

"No..." he moaned, breathing softly and touching the mattress, "not again."

"Kid? You ok?" a voice came through the darkness, and Mantaro whipped around.

"Yeah, Meat. I'm...fine. Just had a bad dream, that's all."

There was silence for a moment, and then, "Did you wet yourself?"

Mantaro sighed. Of course that question would pop up. It always did – it wasn't like his lack of bladder control was a secret. This time it was different though.

"Erm...kinda..."

"Do you need me to change your sheets?"

Mantaro blinked. "No, honestly, I think I'll do it myself. What time is it?"

There was a rustle of material, and so he assumed Meat had gone back under the covers. He left the question lingering for a couple of moments, then shook his head and began to manoeuvre the sheet off the mattress. The tangy scent of salt hit him in the face like a brick wall and he winced as he folded the sheet and made his way cautiously to the sink in the near darkness.

The cold metal of the tap contrasted to his warm skin and the sudden lack of heat caused a shiver to pass through him, bringing back sudden memories of the dream that he'd rather forget.

"You're shivering, Kid. What, can't you take it?" the invigorating British accent cut through the steamy atmosphere.

"Nope! Just a dream!" Mantaro piped up, his heart hammering inside his chest. He grabbed the tap, turning it violently to the side, and a powerful stream of freezing cold water splashed out, hitting the sink and splashing a few droplets upwards.

He cupped some of the water in his hand and roughly washed his face. This shouldn't, couldn't, be happening to him. He was the Prince of Kinniku Planet, and the champion of the Ikemon Chojin Crown, so therefore he should have everything he needed. A big house, servants, and beautiful girls tending to his every need would be great. Instead, here he was, washing his bed sheets, trying desperately not to fantasize about one of his former opponents.

But it was just no use. Mantaro could remember every little thing about Kevin Mask. The way light glinted off the metal mask, the way that the beautiful dark-blonde hair would be blown about by a breeze, the rippling muscles that had captured the hearts of so many, and the stimulating, nonchalant British voice that caused more shivers to creep up the Kid's spine even as he thought about it.

"Just concentrate," he muttered, pressing the sheet into the sink and adding some Fairy Liquid that he'd just spotted out of the corner of his eye. Within moments of washing, a bubbly lather had formed on the surface of the material, and Mantaro let out a sigh of relief in the darkness. There goes the evidence. Satisfied with his efforts, he cleaned off the remaining soapy liquid and wrung the drops of water out of the sheets.

Mantaro opened his eyes, and immediately wished that he hadn't. The bright sunlight stung his eyelids and left an imprint when he shut his eyes again. It was no use – he'd never get back to sleep now. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, getting rid of the grains of sleep that had taken it upon themselves to lodge there. Unfortunately, he could remember everything that had occurred last night, and was thankful that he had changed his pyjama trousers before going back to sleep on the sofa.

He was the only one in the little hut that he shared with his trainer. Meat was nowhere to be seen, and as it was a Friday, Kid suspected that the diminutive little man was probably at the supermarket purchasing the food supplies for the next week, as was the normal Friday morning routine. He was grateful for this, as he always got into a state in supermarkets, never knowing quite what to buy aside from kau and rice, and besides that, he needed a little time to himself. Staring around the hut with tired eyes, he swallowed and stood up; resolve working it's way into the cogs in his head. Stepping over to his pile of clothes, he quickly dressed in casual jeans and a black t-shirt, rather than his normal bodysuit. He preferred to go incognito today, or at least, as incognito as an internationally renowned, powerfully built young man with a strange mask on could be. Grabbing a piece of paper and an almost blunt pencil, he quickly scribbled a note: -

'Meat -

I'm going out for a bit because I have a headache. I won't be long; I just need to clear my head.

Kid Muscle'

It was simple, but it was all that he really needed. Locating some dark sunglasses, he slipped them on and exited the small hut.

Outside, the sun was glinting through a haze of red and gold autumn leaves nearly ready to fall. The air was crisp, cold and refreshing, and Mantaro immediately regretted not bringing a coat. There were no children in the playground, and so no one was there to point, and stare, and wonder why the 'wrestler extraordinaire' hadn't been seen in the outside world in more than a month. Usually his everyday life was publicised, along with the other members of the Muscle League, but the normal rivers of rumours printed by tabloids seemed to have run dry. He couldn't pretend that he wasn't grateful – public attention seemed to make him appear a lot more different than he would like. It wasn't his fault that Roxanne and Jacqueline thought that he was a moron. As much as he tried to act the way that chojins should, he couldn't help being unique, and his behaviour always ended up shaming him in one way or another.

Caught up in this depressed mindset, Mantaro was surprised when he came to the wall, having not realised that he'd been walking at all. He paused for a moment, looking around and taking in his surroundings. This was the place that he had seen Kevin for the first time ever, and had been amazed by the other man's physical prowess. The young knight had rendered Dik Dik van Dik – the Muscle League new generation's "finest" without breaking a sweat. Of course, he had turned out to be dMp, so that wasn't really too surprising. Mantaro let out a long sigh, and carried on walking, trailing out of the playground.

He hadn't realised his feelings for the other man until recently, and was frankly surprised that he hadn't discovered it before. He wouldn't have spent so much time chasing after Roxanne if he had known. Roxanne had always been a lost cause, and even more so recently, as she had begun to find more and more reasons to drape herself over a certain German wrestler. Kid had reason to suspect that Jeager wasn't interested in her at all, and instead would quite like to chase after Mars. But Mars hadn't been seen since the Generation X showdown, despite the fact that it was rumoured that he'd escaped from hospital to return to Italy. There had also been rumours floating around that Mars and Kevin had initiated some sort of relationship when in the dMp, and while most people ignored it, Mantaro chose to believe. The possibility of Kevin Mask being heterosexual seemed more likely than if, say, he were just not interested in women. After all, it hadn't looked like he minded being paired with that Lord Flash in the Three Feet Heat Chojin Crown qualifier, and he had appeared aghast when his mentor's disguise had shattered, revealing him to be the Legend, Warsman. Mantaro suspected that something had gone on there, although he preferred to keep it to himself. If Kevin was gay, then that was his choice. If he wanted to rendezvous with an aging android, that was his choice too.

His feet seemed to be leading of their own accord, and they had taken him into the town. Although it was quite early, there were still a lot of people about. Cars and vans polluted the roads, mothers pulled their fussing children down the streets, businessmen talked importantly on their phones, and a group of teenagers skulked in a corner, most likely bunking off school. No one paid him any attention, and so he felt invisible as he ambled down the busy street, still mostly caught up in his thoughts.

A small part of him wished that Kevin was married, or had a girlfriend, because at least then his mind wouldn't romanticize the notion of becoming the Brit's partner. He was ashamed of himself for thinking such things, and was sure that, if he told anyone, he would be viewed as a disgrace, kicked out of the Muscle League, disowned by his parents and probably given the death sentence.

"Don't be an idiot," he muttered to himself, causing a few people to stare, "they wouldn't kill you for being gay...just don't think about him."

There had to be millions of other topics for his brain to dwell on, but then and there, his brain didn't seem to realise that. All his thoughts revolved around his attraction to the chojin that had once pulled the Kinniku Prince's arms out of his sockets, and put him through more physical pain than Mantaro had even realised existed. Somehow, the memory of the pain no longer registered – all he could remember now was the exhilaration of being so close to the striking Brit. It didn't matter now, though. If there had ever been any hope of meaning something more to Kevin Mask than just an opponent, it had passed him by. There had been no news, no location, and no rumours. There was no way that Kevin would still be in Tokyo after this long, and Mantaro wasn't about to travel the whole world to find him. It was pointless, it was just an infatuation, and his aching heart hoped it would pass.

Arriving outside a small café, Mantaro decided to sidetrack his mind with some food. He hadn't had breakfast, and any kind of meal would be welcome. He pushed the glass door and it swung open, admitting him into the café. A rush of warmth greeted him, contrasting with the crisp cold of outdoors, and he quickly shut the door behind him. Aside from a bored looking balding man in the corner, and a few citizens with their faces hidden by newspapers, the café was empty. Mantaro sat down at a small table and flipped through the menu. A skimpy young waitress wearing what seemed to be a belt rather than a skirt approached him with a smile that was probably used on all customers.

"May I take your order, sir?"

"Erm, yeah. I'll just have some chocolate cake and some tea..." he had no idea why he had ordered tea. Usually he hated the stuff because he thought it tasted bland and boring.

"Milk? Sugar?"

"Yeah, both, whatever," he muttered, just wanting her to leave. She smiled falsely again.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?"

Mantaro turned his head and fixed her with a blank stare from behind his sunglasses.

"I doubt it."

The waitress seemed to finally pick up on his cold attitude, and stalked off. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the person on a table opposite him. The newspaper was held up so that Mantaro couldn't see who it was, but he knew he wouldn't be acquainted with the person anyway. He was sitting too far away to read the text, but the headline seemed to be about the winter migration of swallows.

'This is great, Kid. Keep thinking about the swallows. This has got to be, what, five minutes in which you haven't thought about Kevin? Keep up the good work,' he thought to himself, relaxing. He felt a lot calmer than he had earlier.

There was a rustle, and the person holding the newspaper put it down on the table to reach for his mug of tea, revealing a more-than-familiar blue metal mask.

Mantaro just gaped, his mouth open, his eyes fixed. He couldn't believe it.

Kevin Mask's luminous yellow orbs stared, and although he couldn't see behind the mask, Mantaro got the feeling that the Brit was smirking.

"Well, good morning, Kid Muscle. I haven't seen you in a while..."

**To be continued...**

Well, that's the first chapter up! It took me so long to get that started, but by about halfway through, I was on a roll. Not literally, of course. Expect more chapters to come! Of course, I'll only update if I get reviews! evil laugh Honestly though, you don't want me to incorporate a Mary-Sue into it, do you?


	2. Development

Nothing Else Matters

Rating: R, for culmination of a slash relationship (i.e. two male characters getting it on).

Setting: A few months after the end of the Chojin Crown

Pairings: Kid Muscle/Kevin (sorry Warsman!), a little bit of Mars/Terry (sorry Jeager!)

Summary: After the Chojin Crown, Kid Muscle is plagued with dreams about a fellow chojin.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ultimate Muscle, Kinnikuman, or any of the characters included or mentioned in this fanfic. I simply enjoy watching them, and imagining them in kinky situations. Is that a crime? Also, I took the title 'Nothing else matters' from a song by Metallica that I love to bits. I'm going to use the song in a later chapter.

Author Notes: Sorry if I cause any confusion switching between the names 'Mantaro' and 'Kid Muscle'. I just think Mantaro is a nicer name than Kid Muscle, and so he might call himself by that name. Also, Kevin would most likely not refer to Kid by his proper name until he is instructed to...again, sorry for confusion!

And another sorry...sorry it's taking me so long to update! 'Tis easy to think about slash, but it's often hard to make it interesting while writing it!

Chapter 2 – Development

There was a long painful pause, during which an irritating radio jingle decided to make its presence known somewhere in the background of the café. For some reason, Mantaro's brain seemed not to be connected, and all he could do was stare, open-mouthed.

'_Dammit, he said something to you. Get over it, and reply. You can do that, can't you? Why can't you do that? No wonder no one's ever loved you, if you can't get a single word out...'_

"Fine!" he suddenly managed to stammer out. "I'm fine, thanks..."

Kevin paused to push away his mug of tea – which was empty – and fold his newspaper. "I...didn't ask you how you were. That was going to be my next enquiry, however..."

Mantaro gulped, and would have sworn loudly if he hadn't been in a public place.

"Oh, erm...I'm sorry. I'm not really on top of things today. Late night..." he explained feebly. "And you? How are you? How come you're still in Tokyo? I would have thought that you'd go back to England..." he trailed off, realising that he had asked more questions than he intended. The Brit didn't seem to mind, though.

"Why would I go back there now? There's nothing for me to do there, and ever since Warsman left..." he trailed off, and shook his head, staring out of the window quietly.

Mantaro's heart plummeted – Kevin seemed unwilling to speak to him. Perhaps it was only the subject matter. Perhaps it was painful for him to think of his former trainer. The Kinniku Prince searched his brain for a subject matter that would provoke a brighter response.

"K-Kevin? Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to," he began timidly. Kevin looked at him with a look that could have been cautious, if Mantaro had been able to actually see it.

"That depends on what the question is, Kid Muscle..."

Mantaro faltered for a moment under the pressure of those glowing eyes.

"Okay, well it's a stupid question really, but it's been bugging me for a while, and I'm sure a load of other people would want to know too. It's...how do you manage to eat, and yet still keep your mask on?"

He inwardly flinched at the painful silence that followed, and expected that the knight wouldn't answer him. But to his utter surprise, Kevin laughed, and Mantaro felt his insides squirm with delight.

"No one's ever asked me that before, Kid. You really want to know?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you see, when it's something small like popcorn, I can usually get by if I smuggle it up through the space near my chin, or down through the space near my eyes. If I do it very subtly, no one catches me doing it. I have to eat large meals in private though, so that I can take my mask off without anybody seeing," he answered, laughter playing in his golden eyes.

"But what's so bad about you taking off your mask, Kevin? You know about mine – you proved that in our match when you practically ripped it off my face..."

The young knight seemed to consider his answer a long time, but was saved from looking antisocial by the young waitress who had returned with Mantaro's tea and cake. Rather thirsty by this point, he grabbed the mug of steaming liquid and gulped down a copious amount, spluttering at the heat and burning his tongue. Again, the little of Kevin Mask's expression that he could see danced with amusement.

"You seem to be a tea virgin, Kid..."

Mantaro coughed, suspicious now that the tea had found it's way into his lungs.

"A whatnow?"

"A tea virgin. Didn't you realise that it was going to be hot?"

Mantaro blushed. "I guess not...I'm sorry..."

Kevin put his newspaper down on the table and pushed his chair back, standing up.

"Don't apologise."

He stalked over to the counter where the skimpy young waitress was smiling in a way that she must have thought was attractive. She tapped something into a cash machine with her highly manicured fingernail, and Kevin paid for his refreshments. The till made a 'ping' noise, and the waitress bade him goodbye in what Mantaro noticed to be a rather wistful voice.

"Are you going now?" he asked desperately, as Kevin passed him, collecting his long coat.

"Yes," was the short answer as the longhaired wrestler moved towards the door, opened it and stepped out into the street.

The sudden draught from outside caused Mantaro's brain to jump into action. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a considerable amount of money, slammed it down on the table, jumped up, tripped over the chair, landed painfully on the floor, scrambled up towards the door, wrenched the handle and skidded to a halt on the pavement outside. The tall form of Kevin Mask turned around and stared at him.

"What are you doing? Are you following me now? Did you pay for your food? Did you even finish it?"

Mantaro gasped for breath. "I'd like to answer all your questions, but I can't remember what they all were."

Kevin sighed and turned away.

"Well, I'll see you another time..."

"No!" Mantaro grabbed his arm. "Look, why don't we hang out today? I doubt you've got anywhere better to go, anything better to do, and anyone better to do it with." The last comment had been hopeful, of course, because for all he knew, Kevin could be off to meet with a friend, or something worse. Like a lover.

Kevin didn't turn around, but said, "And why would you want to hang around with me?"

Mantaro loosened his grip on the other man's arm. "Because...because you seem lonely. You're on your own."

Immediately, he realised that he'd said something wrong, because Kevin whipped round and hit Mantaro's hand away.

"I'm fine on my own. Why would I be lonely? The whole of the wrestling fandom community loves me. You should see the sites dedicated to me! They even write fanfiction. I don't need you for company, Kid. I don't need anybody."

The words were harsh and arrogant, but Kevin's tone was hollow, and Mantaro didn't believe a word.

"How can you say that? No one likes to be on their own for too long! Everyone needs some kind of company, at least every once in a while! I don't believe you. And deep down, I don't think you even believe yourself. Look around you – there must be thousands of people who'd die for the chance to be with the 'great Kevin Mask', but how many of them would want to spend time with the real you? I'm offering you the chance to drop the façade, because I know that, inside, you're not so cold. Drop the lone wolf frontier for just a little while. Just for today...and if you won't, perhaps you're even more alone that I thought..."

He swallowed. He doubted that he'd ever shouted at someone so much, and flinched when Kevin put his hands in his coat pockets.

'_You idiot. Now what's he going to think of you? That you're a silly little whiny prince that acts like a child and throws tantrums at people when they won't spend time with him? Of course he'll think that. That's what you are.'_

"I...I'm sorry, Kevin. That wasn't right of me to say that. I don't know anything about you, and I'm being rude. We don't have to do anything at all..." he hung his head, breaking down inwardly.

"You know, Kid, that has to have been the most intelligent thing that you've ever said. I honestly don't see why you would want to spend time with me? I've never been particularly friendly towards you..."

Mantaro brightened up immediately, and smiled.

"It doesn't matter. Here's a chance for us to catch up. I can be far less annoying than I usually am around people, and we don't have to hang out for too long, you know. What do you want to do?"

Kevin shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked around the street, seemingly not caring that a lot of people were beginning to stare at the two World Class Chojins in the middle of the pavement.

"I don't mind, Kid Muscle. I've never really...'hung out' before; I don't know what you're meant to do..." he trailed off as mischief crept into Mantaro's face. "What are you smiling like that for?"

Mantaro folded his arms and grinned.

"You'll see. I know a _very _good place..."

_To be continued..._

_Yay! That's chapter two up! Finally...it's been hanging over my head the whole of this half term. Sorry that it's short. The next chapter will be longer...and better! Hopefully the end of it has provoked a few questions. Like, 'where's Mantaro going to take Kevin?' or something. Maybe that's just my wishful thinking._

_Thank you to all my reviewers so far. It's lovely people like you that spur me on when I don't feel creative! _


	3. Intoxication

Nothing Else Matters

Disclaimer: I do not own Ultimate Muscle, Kinnikuman, or any of the characters included or mentioned in this fanfic. I don't own 'Nothing Else Matters' either, because it belongs to Metallica. I don't own anything. Apart from the waitress with the really short skirt, and I don't like her. Oh yeah, and I own saucepan lady too…why the hell are you looking at me like that?

Author Notes: Couldn't be bothered to copy and paste all the other stuff that's usually above this. Which shows that I'm mega lazy-ful. And that last sentence shows that I need coffee, as I am sleepy and cannot even write proper words. The stuff that's usually up there still stands though, especially as this is a chapter that might get rather…steamy. You have been warned.

I'm so sorry for not updating in so long! The un-creative bug has bitten me! Thanks to all my reviewers! You all deserve cookies!

Chapter 3 – Intoxication

"I don't believe it, Kid. You hauled me halfway across town, decided to go on three different forms of public transport – all of which I despise, by the way – got lost more times than I could count and managed to insult the one person willing to give us directions. On top of all of that, this 'very good place' that you had in mind to visit turns out to be a theme park! And not just any theme park. No. This theme park is very special, because it just so happens to have been out of business for TWO YEARS!"

The two chojins stood on the other side of a corrugated iron fence from what looked like a twisted mess of corroded, distorted metal flecked with chipped, lacklustre paint. A faded sign lay neglected on the ground, looking as though it had once been attached to the fence in an insubstantial way. Barely legible words read: _DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, _along with the date of when the park shut down.

Mantaro stared up at the top of the fence as though expecting the dilapidated theme park to suddenly transform into a fully functioning, colourful area of worldly delights, as it must have been, at least at one point. Kevin folded his arms, and continued to stare at the stationary figure with impatience. Despite being irritated at the outcome of their journey, he felt a little sorry for his companion. Mantaro had been very excited about going to this place, and had jabbered on about it the whole way, including on the tube, tram and bus. True, it had been annoying, but Kevin had been thankful for the company. Not many people took time out to chat to him. The Kid had planned out everything they were going to do – all the rides they were going to go on, all the food they were going to eat. As soon as they had reached the rundown mass of twisted metal, however, Mantaro had stopped talking, shocked at the scene, and hadn't said a thing for the fifteen minutes that he'd been staring at the fence. Kevin felt the creeping sensation of guilt – the Prince already felt bad, and shouting hadn't helped anything.

"Come on, Kid. We should go now. It doesn't matter about this place, we can always go somewhere else…" Kevin tried to provoke a response, but his attempt fell on deaf ears. "Kid Muscle, come _on_! Don't make me drag – "

"I'm sorry."

Kevin was taken aback after being cut off in the middle of a sentence. "What? Oh, that's alright. Like I said, it doesn't matter, so stop apologising. It's mid-afternoon now; it'll take another couple of hours to get back into the middle of town. Why don't we go to a bar?"

Mantaro turned his head to stare at the 7"2 wrestler, looking confused.

"A…bar?"

"Yes, Kid. It's a building licensed to sell liquor on the premises, and people go there to consume alcoholic products," Kevin replied, only a little derisively. "I know some good ones, and I'm sure that they won't be closed down."

The Prince grinned half-heartedly. "You're going to hold this against me forever, aren't you?"

Kevin turned, smiling to himself. "Only as long as I remember it…"

"Then I hope for my sake that your memory's not too great," Mantaro called as Kevin began to walk back in the direction that they had come only a little while earlier. Feeling a little less miserable than he had been a moment ago, he ran to catch up with the retreating figure. He didn't know what it was about the other wrestler that just cheered him up, but it seemed that Kevin Mask's mere presence was enough to make him feel so much better. Of course, the reason that he was upset was that the park's closed nature revealed him to be idiot. And that was exactly the picture of him that he didn't want projected everywhere. Also, he had read on an advertising brochure (a very old one, now that he thought about it) that the park featured an extremely romantic Tunnel of Love ride, and Mantaro's growing heartache every time he looked at Kevin Mask was more than enough to make him want to find out just how far his attraction stretched…

They turned left out of the small path that had led them to the park and walked in silence down the road to the bus stop. Many different conversation possibilities danced through Mantaro's head, but somehow the silence felt more appropriate. He had never really been to a bar before, as Meat's overprotective nature barred him from any alcohol acquaintances he cared to establish. Not that he _ever _cared to, of course. The last time he had tried alcohol was when Terry Kenyon had smuggled a bottle of whiskey into a training session. Mantaro could never quite understand why anybody thought that whiskey tasted nice. To him it was bitter and horrible.

He was suddenly wrenched out of his little stupor as a large double-decker bus came hurtling around the corner of the street towards the little bus stop at a speed usually not put into practise by large red passenger vehicles. Sure that the bus was going to slam into something and cause a tragic road accident, Mantaro stepped back and flattened himself against a brick wall. Kevin seemed unaffected, and stood steadfast as the huge red monster of a bus screeched to a halt on the tarmac, sending wisps of steam into the atmosphere from the tired wheels. Mantaro could smell burning tyre rubber and noticed that many of the passengers on the crowded bus had gone interesting shades of green.

The bus doors swung open violently and a couple of people looked more than happy to scarper out into the safety of the street. One unfortunate man was so dizzy that he ended up walking straight into part of the same wall that the Kinniku Prince was currently attempting to attach himself to. The man slid down to the floor and lay there on the pavement, twitching.

"Kid, are you coming or not?"

Mantaro looked up quickly and saw Kevin waiting with an air of impatience. He swallowed.

"I…erm…I think we can probably wait for the next bus. It can't take too long, now can it?"

Kevin shook his head, subconsciously making his long hair twirl distractingly.

"No. I checked the rota, and this is the last bus for a couple of hours. You don't want to stay here, do you?"

Mantaro was about to comment that anywhere would be better than putting his life at risk by taking this dangerous form of public transport, but a menacing grunt issued forth from the general direction of the bus driver. Not wanting to be left behind by his companion, he reluctantly dug into his pocket to recover enough to change to pay for his fare. Groaning inwardly, he trudged away from the wall and stepped onto the bus, stopping before the driver, who stared at him. Mantaro dropped the change into the designated area and pulled his little white ticket from the machine, succeeding in ripping it, quite cleanly, in half. Not knowing quite what to do, he stammered, 'I…erm…where – "

"Just move along," the driver said gruffly, as Kevin gently pushed Mantaro aside and paid for his own fare. After what seemed to be an age of anticipation, the engine jumped back to life with a roar and the screeching wheels carried the bus once more down the road. The two chojins shuffled down nearer the back in silent agreement to find seats. It became rather apparent in less than a minute, however, that there weren't going to be any free seats for a very long time. Mantaro managed to find standing space between an angry-looking middle-aged woman with an army of shopping bags, and a rather large man in a pinstripe suit. Both were looking rather unwell, and so Mantaro resolved to move somewhere else very quickly if either passenger showed signs of vomiting. With nothing else to look at without staring at people's faces, his eyes wandered to fellow passenger's possessions. The middle-aged woman's bags were hardly interesting, being mostly full of vegetables and what seemed to be the world's largest collection of saucepans. Having no particular attachment to saucepans, Mantaro wondered whether a strange saucepan fetish had struck the woman…somehow he doubted it. Even the most perverted of minds rarely found kitchen appliances kinky. Apart from, perhaps, those vibrating microwaves.

Bored with the saucepan-lady, he looked up, and saw just as much as felt that the bus was meandering wildly towards another bus stop. A sudden lurch caused him to lose his footing, and he hurtled straight into Kevin, accidentally hitting the saucepan woman in the face with a flailing hand as he went. Rather than knocking the Brit to the ground, Mantaro felt Kevin's powerful hands grip his shoulders to steady him. Unfortunately, this only caused his legs to feel weaker, and when the bus heaved to a halt, both chojins were knocked to the floor.

It took Mantaro a minute to react to being on top of someone that he found irresistibly attractive. He blinked.

"What are you doing down there, Kevin?"

"You knocked me over, you idiot."

"Ah. Oh yes. Sorry!"

Slightly hesitantly, he clambered off of the British chojin and offered to help him up. His heart leapt when his gloved hand was grasped by Kevin's, and he stammered another apology as he pulled his companion to his feet. Kevin dusted off his coat and gave Mantaro a quick glance.

"I thought I told you to stop apologising," the Brit muttered, before grabbing onto one of the support beams as the bus lurched into action once again.

Kevin Mask slammed the two beer tankards down onto the tabletop, nearly missing the chair as he sat down. The cheap beer splashed over the edge of the glass and frothed lazily. Automatically, Mantaro grabbed one of the glasses and put it to his mouth, downing the liquor as quickly as he could. Three pints of alcohol ago, he would have hated the bitter aftertaste, but right now he couldn't care less. The warm beverage was really relaxing, despite making him feel a little light-headed. After what Meat had told him, he would never have thought that alcohol could make a person taste so great! He felt so free, alive, and unrestrained by the pressure of being an Intergalactic Wrestling Hero. Kevin looked rather loose as well, come to think of it.

Slamming his empty tankard loudly back down on the table earned him a dirty glare from the bartender, but he really didn't care. He glanced up at the large clock positioned on the wall opposite him and Kevin.

"Hey, Kev, buddy, look! It's nearly eleven pm!"

Kevin, whose mask was at a slightly wonky angle, paused to remove the straw from where his mouth must have been underneath the azure metal.

"So?"

"Meat's going to be really worried about me," Mantaro giggled. "He thinks I went for a walk. He'll probably have sent out a search party by now." For some reason, this seemed to be funnier that it should have been.

"Yes, and then they'll arrest me for abducting you, and I'll go to prison, and I'll never be able to wrestle again, and it'll hang on your conscience forever and ever, and you'll die old and alone. Am I using the word 'and' too much?" Kevin asked, feigning solemnity for a moment, before laughing madly.

"I don't know. I'm thirsty again."

Kevin poked his straw up through the mask gap near his chain again and sipped the rest of his beer.

"We shouldn't drink any more of this stuff. It's shit. Come back to my hotel room, and we can have some _real _alcohol. Have you ever tried gin and tonic, Kid?"

Mantaro tried to blink, but then realised he no longer knew how to. Supposing it was an effect of the beer, he yawned, stretching his arms instead.

"No, I haven't tried it. But all alcohol's the same, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," Kevin answered shortly, "but gin and tonic's better."

"Better than the same?"

"Very much so."

"Let's go then! I haven't been to a hotel in…ages!" Mantaro said loudly, gesturing wildly with his hand and knocking a glass to the floor.

"Hey! Are you gonna pay for that, punk?" the bartender shouted angrily from the bar.

Mantaro stood up and attempted to approach the bar, tripping over a chair leg and landing with a _thud _on his front, on the floor.

"Of course I'm going to pay. I'm just going to lie down here for a bit first," he said, suddenly overcome by fatigue.

"No!" the bartender protested. "Get your filthy body off of my clean floor, and get out!"

"You call this clean?" Mantaro's muffled voice could barely be heard. "Have you ever actually smelt it?"

Suddenly, strong hands yanked him up and shook him vigorously. He heard Kevin's voice cutting through the strange blurred sounds and visions that had overcome his senses, "Kid, come on. We're not wanted here."

The Prince's swimming view slowly sorted itself out, and he glared at the bartender, who glared back, before being pulled out of the bar by the Brit.

The cold outside air hit like a brick wall, automatically slightly sobering the two chojins. A strong wind whipped up Kevin's long dirty-blonde hair and made Mantaro shiver under his t-shirt. How had it gotten so cold? It had still been warm when they finally managed to escape the demon bus from hell, and the tube and tram had been mostly uneventful. They had only been in the bar for a couple of hours, and had talked about everything under the sun that they could think of in their intoxicated state. Mantaro couldn't remember half of the things that he had confessed to, or that had been disclosed to him. Perhaps that was a good thing, though, considering the circumstances.

"Kid Muscle, are you okay?" Kevin's voice cut through the Prince's stupor.

Mantaro shook his head to clear it, before poking the Brit.

"Uh…yeah. Why?"

"You seem unable to walk in a straight line…and you're attempting to prod a lamppost."

Mantaro squinted, trying to concentrate. Come to think of it, Kevin was right.

"I was wondering why you felt so frigid," he muttered in reply.

"Don't you mean 'rigid'?"

"I mean what I say, not what I mean to say. Know what I mean?" Mantaro replied thickly, and only realised that he was still addressing the lamppost when his arm was grabbed and he was dragged away by the _real _Kevin Mask. The Brit seemed to have decided that there was no way that he would manage to guide the Kinniku prince all the way back to his hotel room unless he physically dragged him, and so Mantaro consented to be pulled along rather than concentrate on where he was going. A rush of warm air about ten minutes later notified him that they were now in the large foyer of a similarly large hotel. Although it was late, there were many large orbs of light that blurred the Prince's vision and made him feel rather dizzy. He clung to Kevin's coat as the relatively confused-looking receptionist handed over a room key to the Brit. Then he was pulled over to the lift, and, when the doors opened, pushed into the tiny metal box that made up the elevator. Kevin pressed a button that indicated that his room was on the eleventh floor, and the life jerked upwards.

After a few awkward moments, the elevator pinged loudly, causing Mantaro's head to suddenly hurt rather a lot. By this time, he was far more clear-headed than before, and could have navigated his way around more easily, but seeing as Kevin grabbed his wrist again, he decided that he quite enjoyed the physical contact.

The Brit lead out of the lift and down an elaborately decorated hallway that looked more like it belonged in a medieval castle than a hotel. Mantaro was hardly surprised when he nearly tripped over a suit of armour that looked like it had been recently polished.

"My room's just down here," Kevin said flatly, and the Kinniku Prince suspected that the effects of alcohol were starting to wear off on the Brit too.

Without another word, they stopped in front of a large oak door with a plaque that showed the number '17' in fancy gold lettering. Kevin inserted the key gently, and turned it. With a soft _click _the door opened, swinging backwards on its hinges to reveal the room beyond.

Mantaro swore softly as his wrist was released, and he stepped over the threshold. The room was almost regal in appearance, with crimson painted walls, soft carpeting, a huge sheepskin rug, a flickering fire in the large fireplace and a glittering chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Two doors led off – one to the bedroom and the other to the bathroom, he presumed.

"Take your shoes off, Kid. I don't want you wrecking the carpet," Kevin said with a touch of amusement in his tone, closing the hotel room door.

"Oh, oh I'm sorry!" Mantaro gabbled, slipping his shoes off quickly and placing them as carefully as he could against the wall.

"I told you to stop apologising to me! You only need to do that if you've offended someone, or actually done something wrong," Kevin laughed, removing his brown gloves and coat and hanging them on the door hook. He stalked over to an obscure mini-bar near the opposite wall and opened the door, scouting inside for something. After a moment, he reached inside the fridge and took out two bottles and two glasses. Shutting the fridge door, he went over to the sheepskin rug and sat down in front of the fire. Mantaro stood awkwardly still, watching as Kevin poured out a small amount of gin into each glass, then filled the rest of the glass with fizzing tonic water. The knight seemed to notice that something was missing, and he turned around to stare at Mantaro with his penetrating yellow eyes.

"Sit down."

Wordlessly, the Prince obeyed, dropping down onto the carpet and taking the offered glass of fizzing substance.

"I…don't know whether I should drink anymore. My head's still spinning, and there seem to be three of you, Kevin…" he explained feebly.

"Gin and tonic never did anybody much harm," Kevin answered smoothly, leaning in quite close. "Just try it – I think you'll like it…"

Mantaro sighed. "If you say so." Slowly, his head starting to ache, he sipped some of the liquid. Almost immediately the bitter taste in his mouth was replaced by a refreshing blend of fantastic fizzing flavour. Before he could stop himself, he had finished his glass, and Kevin had refilled it.

"This place is a-a-amazing!" he said suddenly, gesturing around the room with his free hand. Kevin put his own drink (complete with a pink straw) down on the rug and looked away.

"Yes, it is. I haven't been anywhere since the end of the Chojin Crown Finals. It was Lord Flash's favourite hotel…" the Brit answered in a sombre voice, with no trace of alcohol-induced slurring.

"Oh, you mean Warsman?" Mantaro blurted out, and then immediately realised that he'd said something incredibly stupid.

"Yes…Warsman…" Kevin said quietly. A horribly awkward silence followed, and Mantaro mentally kicked himself. Finally, he plucked up the courage to ask a question that had plagued him ever since he had seen the alibi that was Lord Flash.

"He…he was more than just a coach to you, wasn't he?"

Kevin put his hand to the part of his mask that covered his forehead, and exhaled heavily.

"You want the truth, Kid?"

Mantaro blinked. He hadn't really expected the usually cold and unfriendly Brit to offer up an answer after only properly knowing him for one day. Then again, he hadn't expected to ever be able to converse with him at all…

"If you want to tell it to me, I'll listen…"

"I don't know why I feel like telling you anything at all. To be honest, I never really liked you. You seemed to be a spoilt, immature little brat of a wrestler who won by luck and fluke every time. But…you proved me wrong during our match. I thought that I had nothing to worry about as long as I knew how to defeat your Muscle Millennium. You won by pure skill and resolve, and I admired that. My view of you changed when you beat me…and you've shown me that you are a worthwhile person…perhaps I will tell you everything after all. You were right. Lord Flash – _Warsman _– was much more to me than just a coach. His methods of teaching were difficult, but so rewarding. By the end of the day, I would always be exhausted, but so exhilarated! You can't imagine how good I felt when he was there. One night, after a particularly strenuous training session before my semi-final match, Lor – _Warsman_ got out a DVD for us to watch. I can't remember the title any more, but it was a love story, about a French prostitute and a young man passing himself off as a writer. Something silly like that…I never quite believed in love...but that film made me realise that the fluttering feeling that I got in my chest when he was around wasn't heartburn…but pure affection. I never got a chance to tell him…but I think that in some way, he knew…"

Kevin reached for his glass and tried to poke the straw up through the small space near his chin. After trying and failing a couple of times, he plucked the straw from the glass and threw it down.

"Oh, hang it all! I'd be bloody better off if I wasn't wearing this thing – you don't mind, do you?" he asked, without needing an answer. Mantaro could only stare, open-mouthed, as Kevin lifted his metal mask off of his head and placed it beside him, shaking his ash-blonde hair so that it twirled around his shoulders again. The Kinniku Prince, finding it suddenly rather difficult to breathe, gulped down a mouthful of his gin and tonic, ogling at the Brit. As men go, Kevin Mask wasn't particularly stunning. He was handsome – that much could be easily said – with greyish blue eyes and high cheekbones. A few freckles were scattered around his nose, and a corner of his mouth was slightly turned up in a constant smirk.

"Kid Muscle…you look like you've seen a ghost…"

Failing now to be able to swallow successfully, the Prince gasped, "C-c-call me M-Mantaro, please!"

Kevin raised an eyebrow.

"Your birth name?"

Mantaro nodded mutely.

"Well, I have to admit, it's a lot nicer than 'Kid Muscle'. A lot more flattering too. After all, you're hardly a child, are you?" the Brit said smoothly, folding his arms.

"N-no, I'm not," Mantaro stuttered. "I think I need some more alcohol…"

Kneeling up, he put his glass down and leaned over Kevin, straining to grasp the bottle of gin. A sudden impact to his knee sent him off balance, and a second later, he found himself in the lap of a certain British chojin, with a face-ful of trouser material.

"Oh God! Kevin, I'm so sorry!" he blurted out, his voice a little muffled. He tried to sit up, but before he knew what was going on, Kevin had escaped from underneath him, overpowered the Prince and manoeuvred his way atop him. Mantaro's heart hammered inside his chest, and he became aware of a sudden tightness in his groin as he looked up into the startling blue eyes that were only an inch or so above his own. His arms were pinned down, and he didn't feel strong enough to resist any advances.

"K…Kevin?"

Escaping from this position was a futile effort. Even if he had wanted to, there was no way that he would be able to get out from underneath the powerful English chojin. Kevin grinned lecherously.

"This is what you want, isn't it? This is why you trailed after me today…isn't it?"

Mantaro's breath was coming in short, painful gasps.

"No! I mean, maybe it was a notion in my mind, but I really didn't think that – oh _God_! Do that again!"

Kevin's hand had worked its way downward, and was currently stroking the Prince's thigh. The other hand crept under Mantaro's t-shirt, caressing the rippling stomach muscles. Grinning, the young knight deftly licked the young Prince's neck, causing him to moan in pleasure.

"I knew you'd like it," Kevin whispered. "Now, would you mind taking your shirt off? And then, perhaps your trousers?"

"My WHAT?" Mantaro tried to keep a cool head, but the foreign hands wandering around his body were being altogether far too distracting for that.

"And maybe your mask too…OUCH!"

Kevin clutched his forehead in pain where Mantaro had head butted him trying to sit up very quickly. The Brit rubbed the sore spot, then turned to look at the young Prince, and was horrified to see the look of fury that was displayed.

"You _bastard_!" Mantaro shouted. "Is that what this is all about? You pretend to be nice to me all day, get me drunk, and then try to get it on with me, and persuade me to get my mask off? I don't think so! I'd never be able to wrestle again! That's what _you _want! How bloody honourable of you!"

Kevin stared in horror as the other man stumbled to his feet, glaring at him.

"No! You've got it all wrong! I swear! Where are you going? Listen to me!" he pleaded, as Mantaro started to make his way to the door. Unfortunately for the Prince, his alcohol intake had confused his legs, and he nearly tripped over again, which was just the opportunity Kevin needed to jump up and grab his hand. "Goddammit, you're going to listen to me right now!

Mantaro tried to shake his hand loose of the knight's grip, but failed and tears of vulnerability began to prick at his eyes.

"How can you do this? I thought that you lived for your stinking honour! That's what you used to be about! I thought that you really enjoyed my company today! I thought that we had fun…I didn't realise that you just saw me as a cheap fuck for you to release your pent up urges!"

"Just let me explain!" Kevin pleaded desperately.

Mantaro was about to yell that there was nothing to explain about, but the look of despair in the Brit's eyes made him reconsider.

"Alright. Explain."

Kevin stood up to his full height and brushed his fringe out of his eyes.

"I didn't mean to offend you, and I _never _viewed you as a 'cheap fuck'. It's just that I bared my soul to you – I told you about my love for Warsman, and I took off my mask. No one's seen me like this for a long time. When I tried to pull your mask off in the ring, it was because I knew that you'd be disgraced. Now…I'm the only one who'd see you. Would it really matter if no one knew about it?" A hopeful and strangely innocent look passed across Kevin's face, and Mantaro wondered whether this was the most emotive that he'd ever been.

"I…I don't know how far the rule extends. I'm never allowed to take it off. Never, ever. It's the most stupid rule I've ever heard. This mask's become a part of me now…I don't know whether I should," he tried to explain without sounding brainless and dithery.

Kevin's deep blue-grey eyes filled with pain.

"You don't…trust me?"

Mantaro's heart plummeted at the look in his companion's eyes. He didn't want to make anybody upset, but he didn't know enough about the rule to be able to feel secure with removing his mask. A niggling part of his brain kept on telling him how much it would hurt and embarrass him if he couldn't wrestle again. The larger, more influential part of his brain was more focussed on how much it would hurt and embarrass him if he remained celibate for the rest of his life, and lost the one chance he had to get closer to Kevin Mask.

Pulling away at the tight mask material that stopped just under his skin, Mantaro slipped his fingers underneath.

"I…trust you, Kevin…"

To be continued… 

Eeeep! That took me so long to do! Okay, that wasn't as steamy as I thought it would be, but it will be more so in the next chapter. I swear. The next chapter will definitely come a long faster. If I get reviews that is…


	4. When The Guilt Sets In

Nothing Else Matters

Disclaimer: I do not own Ultimate Muscle, Kinnikuman, or any of the characters included or mentioned in this fanfic. I don't own 'Nothing Else Matters' either, because it belongs to Metallica.

Chapter 4 – When The Guilt Sets In

Powerful, yet tender fingers traced down Mantaro's spine, causing goose bumps to break out all over his back. Unable to catch his breath, he gasped, but was cut off as his lips were seized in a passionate, eager kiss. The inside of Kevin's mouth was warm and tasted like the epitome of desire, mixed with the bitter tang of all the alcohol the knight had taken into his body. Kevin had him pinned down onto the bed, taking complete control, but Mantaro wasn't complaining. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the kiss, the need for physical absolution that he had never quite experienced before taking over his senses and leaving his mind reeling.

After boldly playing around in the main room of the suite, the two chojins had moved to the bedroom to continue their passionate exploits. The king-sized double bed had proved to be quite useful.

Kevin moved slowly down to Mantaro's stomach, unzipping the Prince's trousers and kissing the newly exposed skin. Mantaro moaned softly, pulling his shirt off over his head and flinging it to the floor. No other feeling that he had ever known could compare to this. He needed this emotional release so much, and judging by the haste with which his clothes were being discarded, Kevin needed it too.

_"You don't want to do this…you're not ready…"_

"Is something the matter?" Kevin asked, with one eyebrow raised at the Prince's sudden hesitation.

"No…n-nothing, b-but I…I've n-never…" Mantaro began to stutter as the final garments were thrown to the floor, but Kevin cut him off with a lecherous grin as he moved atop the Prince again.

"Never what? Been with a man before? Been with a _woman_? Felt this vulnerable? Wanted something so badly?" the Brit offered up options as he kissed his way back up Mantaro's chest, all the way to his neck. The Prince's breathing became more ragged as he clutched at Kevin's shoulders, digging his nails in and leaving red marks. Kevin wrapped his powerful arms around the younger man's shoulders in a tight embrace.

_"It's just the alcohol driving this lust. Don't do it…you'll regret it forever." _

Mantaro winced as the words whipped through his mind. He knew that it was some kind of conscience discouraging him, and that he should listen…but then again, he'd never been this close to something so intimate.

The long white curtains fluttered gently in the cool breeze that drifted in through the open window, and somewhere in the distant world outside the bedroom, faint footsteps could be heard on the pavement below. A shaft of moonlight filtered through the darkness and gave a slight illumination to the entwined lust-filled bodies on the bed.

Kevin slowly sat up, and Mantaro rose with him to sit in his lap, so that the Prince's legs were wrapped around the knight's waist. Eager, fumbling fingers pulled hair and gripped just that little bit too tightly, leaving marks that bruises would replace, as the lustful foreplay began to give way to a deeper, purer kind of longing. Mantaro moaned loudly as he became aware of a throbbing heat and tightness in his groin. Kevin's lips curled into a smirk against the Prince's cheek, and, with a grinding motion he readied himself to penetrate the younger man. As if bored with sitting, he suddenly unlatched Mantaro's ankles and shoved him back down onto the tangle of sheets.

"Wait! Kevin!" the younger chojin yelped suddenly. "D-don't we n-need protection?"

One hand atop Mantaro's chest, Kevin laughed.

"You mean a condom? Well, you tell me. Are you ovulating?"

Mantaro swallowed.

"I…I don't think so…"

"And do you have a sexually transmitted infection?"

Even in the considerable dark of the room, Kevin could still tell that the young Prince was blushing.

"No, b-because I've…never done it before."

"I figured as much. I'm not going to wear a condom. It dulls the sensation, don't you know?" Kevin said in a mockingly sincere tone. When Mantaro didn't reply, the Brit sighed. "Is this what you really want? I won't lie to you – it's going to hurt."

Slowly, almost mechanically, Mantaro reached up and twirled a lock of Kevin's long ash-blonde hair around his finger.

_"Do you actually think he wants you for anything more than sex? He'll be gone by morning. Now, enough of this. Stop it; you're acting like a dirty whore!"_

"I'm not a whore!" Mantaro blurted out suddenly.

"Pardon?"

Swallowing, the Prince rolled out from underneath the Brit and propped himself up with his elbow.

"I can't do this, god, Kevin I'm sorry! I'm not ready…" he whispered, hating himself for every word.

Kevin fixed him with a cold stare. "What do you mean? I thought this was what you wanted…"

Mantaro swallowed. "It…it was. But I don't…I don't want to be just sex to someone, you know? I really like you, but I still feel like I don't know you…" he touched his bare face, still un-nerved by the unfamiliarity of it. "I took off my mask for you, and I could get in so much trouble. I mean, Meat's gonna kill me, but that might only be the beginning. I can't have sex with you if it's just a one-fuck thing." He hung his head and attempted an apologetic grin. "You understand, right?"

There was a very long, painful pause while Kevin regarded him with an expression impossible to decode. Mantaro's heart was pounding in his chest, and he was surprised at how frightened he had suddenly become. Why had he said those things? Why had he stopped right in the middle of something so coveted?

_"Because you knew it wasn't right." _

Mantaro was growing to hate that voice in his head. It insulted him, it popped up at the most irritating times, and it completely stopped him from doing things just for the hell of it. Lord, how he wanted to just grab Kevin and have his way with him right now. But most of all, he hated how that voice was always right, and that what it was saying was the truth. Stupid conscience.

"No, I'm afraid I don't understand," Kevin said suddenly, his voice dripping with dangerous cynicism.

"W-what?"

"You were gagging for it a second ago. I felt the heat that was coming from you, and this time it had nothing to do with that power of Ultimate Muscle of yours…"

Mantaro felt the blood rush to his face, knowing how unfair it was for him to so openly give himself, and then ask that Kevin stop. Suddenly, his arm was yanked out from underneath him and twisted as the larger man pinned him down again, completely.

"K-Kev, buddy? This isn't funny! What're you doing?"

Kevin lowered his head and deftly licked Mantaro's earlobe.

"Exactly what I've been waiting to do all day," he whispered. "Perhaps if you shut up for once and stop making pathetic excuses, you'll enjoy it…"

Mantaro moaned in protest, but there was nothing he could do. The powerful Brit was grinding down into his groin, and against his will, the Prince found himself getting more turned on by the second.

Kevin's hands worked their way deftly down the younger man's torso and Mantaro shrieked as strong fingers stroked and massaged the tender area between his legs. The Brit pulled back from the forceful kiss and smirked.

"Like that, do you?"

Mantaro trembled and swallowed, panicking. This shouldn't be happening – so why in hell was it? He didn't want to be penetrated like this. He didn't want to lose his first time to someone who so obviously didn't love him. After all, sex _was _supposed to be about love, wasn't it? Whether or not his earlier feelings for Kevin extended past lust, he wanted to be loved himself. And surely that was acceptable. Surely there was someone who would care for him, and want him for more than his body or his virginity. Surely there was more to relationships than just sex…of course, this no longer seemed like a relationship of any sort. It was more like rape.

Kevin must have finally noticed his unease and mounting fear, because he kissed the Prince again. This time, however, it was tender, almost affectionate. Kevin released Mantaro's arm, and stroked the younger man's naked face.

"I don't know why you didn't take your mask off before…you really don't need to wrestle. After all, you'll just end up getting your pretty face all mangled," he kissed Mantaro's nose, "and I certainly wouldn't want that to happen…I do appreciate beautiful things, you know." He grinned and licked two of his fingers to lubricate them. "Like the beauty of virginity…"

There was no denying it. The Prince knew exactly what was about to happen. Seizing the opportunity, while Kevin's hands weren't pinning him down, Mantaro slapped the Brit hard across the face, shoved his chest and kicked him off the bed. Kevin's head whacked against the bedside table and his eyes slipped out of focus.

"If you appreciate virginity so much, let me keep mine, you jerk!" Mantaro sniffed, just staring at the Brit's prone body on the floor. He blinked for a second, and then swallowed. "K-Kevin? You okay? Oh crap, you're dead! Oh shit, oh shit…I'm a murderer…" he clambered off the bed and knelt down, feeling for a pulse with his finger. "Okay, maybe you're not dead," he concluded gratefully, as the reassuring rhythm of Kevin's pulse beat against his own skin. Certain that the English chojin was only unconscious, Mantaro picked up his underwear from the floor and followed the trail of strewn clothes back to the living room of the suite. He dressed hurriedly, not wanting to stay any longer than he had to. Slipping on his shoes, he looked around the hotel room one last time, his heart aching heavily in his chest. He felt awful, and used. He had trusted Kevin, and Kevin had just manipulated that trust to get sex. Sure, people had hurt and betrayed him in the past, but not like this. He had never felt so desolate, empty and alone. Tears welling up in his eyes, he grabbed the door handle and exited the room.

Outside the hotel, it was very cold. A harsh wind whipped around Mantaro's shoulders and caused goosebumps to break out under his shirt. It was also very dark, with only dull street lamps to break through the gloom.

Mantaro hugged himself and looked up and down the street, trying to remember which way he had come earlier. If only he hadn't allowed himself to get drunk. Now that he thought about it, that was probably Kevin's plan to begin with. Get him drunk, and then fuck him when he was too intoxicated to protest or fight back. The problem was, Mantaro just hadn't been drunk enough, and the shock of the sudden intimacy had sobered him almost automatically, leaving nausea and a budding migraine behind. Now, he was stuck in the middle of Tokyo, and no one knew where he was. Meat would probably be frantic with worry by now. Damn, why did he have to go and lose that mobile phone that the diminutive trainer had given him? It would've helped a whole lot right about that time.

A particularly cold gust of wind blew at him, making him shiver, his teeth chattering. There was nothing else for it – he would just have to pick a direction and start walking. Hopefully he'd end up somewhere he recognised.

"_And what if you get even more lost?"_

"I'll think of something," he muttered, barely even convincing himself, let alone the sceptical little voice of his conscience.

"_This is ridiculous. Go back inside the hotel and get them to order you a cab!_"

Mantaro shrugged his shoulders. Yes, that made a lot more sense. Shivering again, he hurried inside and skidded to a halt in front of the reception desk. A rather bored looking young woman stared up at him, and the Prince noticed Comrade Turbinski merchandise scattered around most of the work surface.

"Can I help you?"

Kevin opened his eyes and waited for his vision to swim back to normal. The back of his head ached horribly, there were painful carpet burns on his back, and it took him a moment to realise that he was on the floor…and naked. How on earth had he ended up there?

"Shit!" he shouted, as memory flooded back to him. He had been forcing himself onto Mantaro – and Mantaro hadn't wanted any of it. The Brit felt sick. Was this what he had been reduced to? Alcohol and rape? Thank God he hadn't been allowed to go all the way. Thank God the Kinniku Prince had enough sense to stop him. But where was Mantaro now?

Kevin stood, guilt and worry making his legs wobbly, and grabbed his underwear and trousers, pulling them on quickly. The door to the living room was already open, and it was easy to see that Mantaro was no longer in the hotel suite. He glanced at a clock on the wall, guessing that he'd only been knocked out for a couple of minutes. Maybe he'd catch Mantaro. Maybe if he hurried, the Prince would still be in the building. Of course, an apology wouldn't be nearly enough to make it up to Mantaro, but he had to try, for the sake of honour.

He hurried through the living room, heading towards the door, but stopped abruptly as something caught his eye. A piece of what looked like rubbery material was lying discarded on the rug by the fireplace. It only took a second for Kevin to realise what it was. He crossed over to it slowly and picked it up, quickly confirming his suspicions…yes, there was no hiding the truth now.

Mantaro Kinnikuman was somewhere in the middle of Tokyo, completely mask-less…

"Oh crap…"

Notes: Waaah, short, rushed chapter. And most of this was scribbled madly into my little note book in Switzerland. Okay...well anyways, the next chapter actually will be up soon! A couple days, mebbe...I hope. What will Mantaro do now? Will Kevin catch him before he hops into a taxi? Will Mars appear in the next chapter? All of these questions (and maybe more) will be answered if Badgercan summon up the creativity to write!


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